45 killed in Afghan violence

KABUL: About 40 Taliban militants and five policemen were killed in the latest spate of violence in Afghanistan as massive gun-battles raged across the war-torn country, according to multiple sources.

On Friday, Taliban militants took control of Jalrez district in Wardak province after days of heavy clashes, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media as saying.

The local media said that nearly 40 security forces members were captured after militants seized government office buildings in the district, 60 km west of the capital Kabul.

The security forces have been in siege for a couple of days in the district where a key provincial road passes, connecting Kabul to central parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Air Force targeted the militants in the district, killing 10 of them, injuring one and destroying a vehicle, a motorcycle and some weapons, the Defence Ministry said. "The operations of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces continue in Jalrez and the district will be cleared off terrorists soon," the Ministry said in a statement late Friday. (IANS)

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